Shipping-crate



(No Model.)

J. BONTA, Jr.

SHIPPING CRATE. N0..59o,51o. l Patented'sept. 21,1897,

UNITED STATESV PiVrnNTV OFFICE. l

JOHN BoNTA, JBL-,or BURGIN, KENTUCKY.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,510, dated September 21, 1897. Application led April 19, 1897. Serial No. 632,835. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN BONTA, Jr., a citi# zen of the UnitedStates, residing at Burgin, in the county ofMercer and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to crates, and particularly to the class of knockdown folding crates; and the object of the invention is to provide a shipping-crate of such novel and peculiar construction and arrangement of parts that it may be set up and locked and knocked down and folded and locked.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a locking means of novel and peculiar consrtuction to be used whether the case is standing up or in folded position.

Other objects and advantages accruing from the special arrangement and combination of parts will be revealed in the description of the claims to follow.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure l is a perspective View of my crate set up. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionof Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the crate folded. Fig. @L is a perspective view of the locking-links.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The top and bottom portions of the crate are composed of top and bottom trays l and 2 of substantially the same depth.

Upon the outside of the top is secured a bead 8, having a cavity Il, engaged by a handring 5 of the locking-bar 6, held to the top by staples 7. The ends of the bar 6 engage the loop 8 of the'locking-link 9, which is loosely hung on the standard l0, secured to the ends of the bottom tray 2 and having a loop 10a. This loop S passes through a slot 1l in the ends of the top crate l and extends suiciently above the surface of the top tray to receive the ends of the locking-bar G to lock the crate in set-up position.

The compartments, which may contain the usual cell-cases, are composed of four pieces l2, hinged together at 13, and fit and are locked between the top and bottom trays both in folded and set-up position by the said locking means hereinbefore described.

The two trays are locked together with the two compartments folded flat within the trays by slipping the link 9 down from the end of the standards l0 until it lies within the bottom of the tray. Then the top tray is placed in position with the loop l0a of the standards passed through the slots ll, where it is engaged by the end of the locking-bar 6. To prevent the locking-bar 6 from turning and sliding out of place, the ring of the bar is forced into the cavity 4. To unlock the same, the ring is turned out of the cavity and the bar pushed out of engagement with the locking-loops. Y

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself in the use of or adaptability of my invention to the number of compartments or the size or shape of the crate; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v l. YThe combination with a shipping-crate having a top provided with a cavity and end slots, of means for locking the top comprising the standards linedv to the bottom' of the crate, the links on the standards, and the locking-bar having a coil or loop forming a hand-ring and adapted to engage said cavity, as set forth. Y

2. A shipping-crate comprising the top and bottom tray portions, the top portion having a cavity, and slots through its ends, a lock-l ing-bar slidably secured to the said top, and having a hand-ring to engage the cavity and lock the bar to the top, the compartments between said trays, and the standards and links secured together and to the bottom of the tray and adapted to pass throughY the said slots to be engaged by the said bar to lock the crate in either folded or unfolded condition, as set forth.

IOO

3. A shippingo1ate comprising' a top tray having,` a Cavity and end slots, a looking-har slidably secured to the top of the tray, and having a portion adapted to engage the said cavity and to fix the bar to the top, a bott-0in tray secured to the top tray, the links loose on the standards and adapted to hang inside the crate, and the partition held bysaid two trays and looked by said bar, standards, and links in eithei1 set-up o1' folded position. 1o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOI-IN BONTA, JR. Vitnesses:

H. B. GAssELL, J. H. DIoKERsoN. 

